1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to embroidery systems and methods and particularly to a web based embroidery system and method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Embroidery systems capable of creating customized patterns are well know such as available from Pulse Microsystems under the designations Pulse Signature. Other such systems are also available from Brother Kogyo, Kabushiki, Kaisha, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,012,402; 5,988,083; 5,865,134; 5,924,374; and 5,924,372. The above mentioned patents generally refer to the possibility of utilizing the internet to transmit embroidery data but do not dislikes any system or method for implementation of such an approach. Two recent prior art web based systems utilizing the Internet allow some customization of a garment over the Internet. These websites are known as www.madetoorder.com and www.starbelly.com. However, these prior art web based systems do not include a capability of automatically generating embroidery lettering or the ability to create truly customized embroidery designs nor do they allow automatic fulfillment of a user customized embroidery order for a selectable garment over the internet. For example, these prior art systems do not work with embroidery data but rather work with bitmap raster images. In addition, any display of images to the user is only a two dimensional image and is not a three dimensional embroidery simulation. Thus, it is difficult for the user to have a realistic picture of the embroidery pattern being ordered on the garment that the user has selected. In addition, none of these prior art systems permits autodigitizing of customer created art work over the internet such as the ability to upload these images, convert them to an embroidery pattern and provide a cost estimate to the user quickly by allowing the user to thereafter confirm the order and have the embroidery pattern generated on an actual garment in order to fulfill the order. These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.